Amusement device



4 sheets-sheet 1 G. AMUNDSEN AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Jan. 22,

May 12, 1925.

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I May 12, 1925.

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G. 'AMUNDSEN AMUSEIJIEIITv DEVICE Filed Jan. 22. 1924 4 sheets-sheet 5 ii-4M min-1W l/VVENTOR aasz'al/ Harman momvsrs May 12, 1925.

G. AMUNDSEN AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed Jan. 22, 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I llllllllllllllllllluii INI/ENTOR GwmyAm/msbw WITNESSES A TTORNEYS Patented May 12, 1925.

UNITED STATES GUSTAV AMUNDSEN', OF MYRTLE POINT, OREGON.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Application filed January 22, 1924:. Serial No. 687,872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUsTAv AMUNDsEN, a subject of the King of Norway, and a resident of Myrtle Point, in the county of Ooos and State of Oregon, have invented a new and Improved Amusement Device, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in amusement devices, an object of the invention being to provide a car which simulates in appearance an aeroplane, which is caused to move in a circular direction and which can be manually controlled by an operator in the car to regulate the elevation of the car in its movement or flight.

' A further object is to provide an amusement device in which a car is provided having pivotally supported planes at its opposite sides, the angular disposition of which are under the control of the operator to regulate the elevation as the car moves forwardly.

A further object is to provide an amusement device which gives to the occupants of the car, the impression of riding in an aeroplane as the movements of the car in vertical flight are under the control of the operator.

A further object is to provide a car with an improved arrangement of castor or pivotally supported wheels or wheel trucks which are normally maintained in vertical alignment but which are caused to pivot in oppo 85 site directions in accordance with the movement of the car.

While I refer to my invention as an amusement device as thisis undoubtedly the primary purpose, nevertheless, I would have it understood that the invention is also adapted for practical purposes and the title is employed merely to conform to the office classification of similar devices.

With these and other objects in View, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts as will be more fully hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating my improved device.

Figure 2 is a view in longitudinal section on the line 22 of Figure 1, the view being on an enlarged scale.

Figure 7 is a View in vertical section on I the staggered line 77 of Figure 6.

In carrying out my invention, I may provide a platform 1 supported at the desired elevation by suitable framework 2 although it is to be understood thatwhere conditions are favorable, this platform may be dispensed with and the car illustrated generally by the reference numeral 3, may be caused to rotate directly on the ground or on the track supported on the ground. On the platform .1 a circular track 4 is supported atan elevation and a vertical power shaft v5 is positioned centrally of the platform 1 of the track 4 and has rotary mounting at its upper end in the tubular standard 6 and at its low- 7 er end has a thrust bearing in a block 7 to insure the proper vertical position of the shaft. Power may be directly applied to this shaft 5 or transmitted thereto in any approved manner. For example, miter gears 8 may connect the shaft 5 with. the drive shaft 9 or any other suitable source of power may be communicated therewith.

The outer edge of the platform 1 may be formed with an upwardly projecting flange 9 if desired with a metal track 10 adjacent thereto on which the wheels 11 of the car 3 are supported and rotate when the car is in its lowermost or starting and stopping positions. The car 3 comprises a body 12 of any desired shape and ornamentation with pairs of planes 18 at opposite sides thereof sothat the device as a whole has'the appearance, functions and sensations of an aeroplane. On the upper end of shaft 5, a cross head IA is secured with a radially projecting link 15 pivotally or hingedly connected thereto and the free end of this link 15 is preferably, although not essentially, supported by a wheel 16 mounted to rotate on the track 4. A pivoted bail 17 is connected to the free end of arm 15 and a pair of stay rods 18 are connected at their inner ends to the bail 17 and at their outer ends to the front and rear ends respectively of the car body 12 so as to compel the car to move in a circular path when the shaft 5 is turned but also permitvertical movement of the car during such circular movement as will more fully hereinafter appear.

Vhile I have illustrated and shall describe but a single car andits operating means, I would have, it understood'that in constructing a completed apparatus, it is advisable to have cars oppositely disposed to each other, either two, four or more, so as to provide a proper balance for the apparatus for economical employment of power and to accommodate the largest possible number of passengers.

The wheels 11 of the car 3 are preferably arranged in tandem with the pairs of wheels at the respective ends thereof supporting trucks 19 which are pivotally connected to relatively large cylindrical shafts 20 having rotary'mounting in the body of the car. On the upper ends of these shafts 20, cross heads 21 are fixed and crossed equalizing links 22 and 23 respectively, connect the ends of the cross heads 21'. One of the links 23 is provided'with coilsprings 2 1 which exert pressure on the respective cross heads to in opposite directions to follow the curved path of movement of the car and to come to rest finally in normal longitudinal alignment. The

13 but it is, of course, to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact shape, proportion or arrangement of the particular pairs of planes as this may be widely varied without departing from the invention. The planes 13, and it is to be understood that' I employ this reference eharacter 18 toindicate the complete planestructure at each side, are fixed to frames 26 and the latter are located beside the car body and pivotally connected to the car body at their centers as shown by 27. The outer central portions of'the planes 13 are pivotally connected to the ends of a cross bar which extends across and is fixed to the body 12 of the car. The frames 26 are provided at their lower portions and at their respective ends with rollers 29, said rollers adapted to contact with the. ground or track and prevent undue friction when the planes are tiltedand the car is on the ground or at a slight elevation. Furthermore, these rollers will engage the ground as the car descends and will compel the planes to change their pairs of planes, 13 are of general'bi-plane form with the lower planes 25 of slightly less area than the upper planes angular disposition without danger of in juring the planes.

The ends of the frames 26 are movable in curved guides 30 fixed to the car body. Arcuate racks 31 are fixed to the respective ends of both pivoted frames 26 and pinions 82 mesh with these racks and are fixed to short shafts 33 projecting into the body of the car.

In both ends of the car, pairs of aligned steering shafts 35 are supported and on these shafts 35 steering wheels 36. are secured. Braking drums 37 are also fixed to the shafts 35. and brake bands 38 engage said drums. One end of each pair of brake bands isfixedly secured to the car body as shown at 39 while the other ends of the aairs of brake bands are connected to a shaped lever 10 which is normally held in braking positionby a hook-shapeddog 11 on a spring held foot treadle 12. It is to be understood that the dog 11 can be swung on its pivot by action of the treadle 42 to permit aslight slack. in the brake bands without entirely disconnecting the dog from the lever 40 so that as soon as pressure on the treadle is released, the dog ismoved downwardly by the action of the spring pressed treadle to bringthe bands 38 into braking action and prevent accidental movement of the steering wheels.

The-steering whels 37, or rather the'shafts 35 onwhich they aresecured, are connected by any suitable power transmission mechanism with the pinion shafts 33 so that the operation of the. steering wheels causes an operation of the pinionsBQ anda consequent angular on pivotal movement of the planes 13. to control the elevation of the car in movement or flight. I have illustrated a simple form of powertransmission in which an, endless belt 13 is. employed to connect eachg steering wheel and pulley shaft combination, These belts413 are passed around the shaft 35 in any desired; manner and around the shaft 33 and suitablepulleys being provided or omitted as desired and an idle pulley 1.1. is mounted between the ends offthe belts to maintain. the proper tension on the belts. It is, however, obvious that theil'lustrationof the beltsand other mounting is merely toshow asimpleformof power transmission connecting mechanism, as the invention is not, in any sense limited to such showing.

Any suitable arrangement of benches or seats 45 can be provided in the car for the accommodation of passengers, it being understood that at leastone of the passengers acts as a driver to vary the angular disposition of the planes 13 and to control the elevation in flight. v

In operation, the car is caused to move 1n a circular path and as it gains momentum, its tendency will be to elevate or rise upon the general principle of a rotary governor as the arms 15 and rods 18 will cause this action. To assist this action or to resist this action, the operator causes the planes 18 to assume an angular disposition relative to the longitudinal plane of the car body. Hence. if he desires the car to quickly rise, he tilts the forward ends of the planes upwardly which causes them to rise more quickly than the centrifugal action of the apparatus could possibly do. Furthermore, this tilting of the planes will cause the cars to elevate above the normal horizontal plane due to centrifugal action and during the flight of the car above the track or the support therefor, the operator can control the up and down movement of the car by controlling the angular disposition of the planes. Furthermore, he can cause the body to tilt or to resist tilting action to maintain horizontal by adjusting the planes at different angles and, hence, the general control of the car is within the power of the operator and tends to simulate the actions of an aeroplane in flight, thus instructing as well as amusing the passengers. hen the momentum of the car decreases, the downward fall thereof can be regulated by the angular disposition of the planes so as to cause the car to touch the ground or track lightly as the wheels 9 come into operation.

Various slight changes might be made in the general form and arrangement of parts described without departing from my invention and, hence, I do not limit myself to the precise details set forth but consider myself at liberty to make such changes and alterations as fairly fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A car of the character described, coir stituting an imitation airplane and held to move in a defined circular path comprising a body, castor wheels supporting the body when in lowest position, elastic equalizing means for holding the wheels in normal vertical alignment, planes at both sides of the body, and manually operated means for tilting the planes to control the elevation of the body when in motion.

2. A car of the character described, constituting an imitation airplane and held to move in a defined ,circular path comprising a body, planes at opposite sides of the body pivotally mounted, a pair of manually operated devices at each end ofthe car, and means operatively connecting said devices with the respective planes for controlling the angular disposition of the planes and consequently the elevation of the car when in motion.

3. A car of the character described, constituting an imitation airplane and held to move in a defined circular path comprising a body, frames pivotally connected at their centers to the sides of the body, arcuate racks on the frames, at opposite sides of their pivots, guides on the body in which the ends of the frames are movable, planes fixed to movewith the frames, pinions meshing with the racks, and manually operated means for turning the pinions. t

1. A car of the character described, constituting an imitation airplane and held to move in a defined circular path comprising a body, frames pivotally connected at their centers to the sides of the body, arcuate racks on the frames, at opposite sides of their pivots, guides on the body in which the ends of the framesare movable, planes fixed to move with the frames, pinions meshing with the racks, hand wheels corresponding in number to the number of pinions, and power transmission means between the hand wheels and pinions.

5. A car of the character described, constituting an imitation airplane and held to move in a defined circular path comprising a body, frames pivotally connected at their centers to the sides of the body, arcuate racks on the frames, at opposite sides of their pivots, guides on the body in which the ends of the frames are movable, planes fixed to move with the frames, pinions meshing with the racks, four hand Wheels in the body, power transmission means connecting the hand wheels and the respective pinions, and means exerting a normal braking action on the hand Wheels.

6. A car of the character described, constituting an imitation airplane and held to move in a defined circular path comprising a body, frames pivotally connected at their centers to the sides of the body, arcuate racks on the frames, at opposite sides of their pivots, guides on the body in which the ends of the frames are movable, planes fixed tomove with the frames, pinions meshing with the racks, ground contacting rollers on the ends of the frames, and manually operated means for turning the pinions.

7. A car of the character described, constituting an imitation airplane and held to move in a defined circular path comprising a body, a cross bar secured to the body and projecting at both ends beyond the same, pivoted frames on the sides of the body, planes secured to the frames and pivotally connected to the outer end of the bar, and manually operated means on the car for pivoting the planes.

8. The combination with a platform, a circular track on the platform and a power shaft located centrally of said track, of an arm pivotally and fixedly connected to the shaft, a roller on the arm mounted to run on the track, a car, Wheels on the car normally supporting the same on the platform, a pair of rods connecting the respective ends on the track, a car, Wheels on the car normally supporting the same on the platform, 10 a pair of rods connecting the respective ends of the car with said arm, and a pair of independently operated manually controlled devices at each end of the car to control the angular disposition of the planes.

GUSTAV AMUNDSEN. 

